1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to control containment systems and apparatus, containing multiple and discrete items and, in particular, to a radio frequency identification system for securely tracking items.
2. Description of Related Art
In many industrial and service applications, multiple items must be tracked for a variety of reasons. For example, these items may be tracked so that the user knows when additional items should be obtained or ordered, who is using the items and for what purpose, and for expensive items, a secure tracking system is required. Whether for security purposes or inventory purposes, an identification system must be developed in order to accurately track and manage a large amount of items, typically discrete and small items.
Health care delivery institutions, like hospitals, have a large amount of inventory to control throughout their system. Thousands of items move in and out of supply and operating rooms every day, and the system administrators must be sure to know exactly what items are being used, when they are being used, who is using them, and how often. At all times, items must be accounted for, and must be fully stocked.
Currently, most hospitals maintain and control their inventory manually by recording it on paper. Items are often ordered on an as-needed basis, as the inventory becomes low. The hospital's materials management department usually must go through the various peripheral supply rooms at the hospital, visually taking note and recording on paper the inventory status of supplies. A purchase order is then sent to the hospital's distributors, requesting more of an item that is low in supply. When the ordered items are received at the hospital's central supply, a materials management person must manually go through and compare every item received versus the packing list. Next, the peripheral supply rooms are restocked with the ordered items from the central supply room.
When an item is used during an operation, the nurse or clinician usually removes it from the central or peripheral supply room and records its use on paper. Typically, there is little accountability as to what has been taken, who took it, and how many they took. The current method of maintaining and controlling inventory is both labor intensive and imprecise. In many instances, a nurse must manually record every item that is being used. The information is only as accurate as to what has been recorded. During busy times, the information garnered is inaccurate or the entire process is sometimes skipped.
In order to effectively track items, supply cabinets have been developed, which provide inventory, accountability, and security of supplies, e.g., medical supplies. The prior art cabinets utilize manual input systems. To gain access to a cabinet, the user must keypunch on a keyboard their access information, such as a PIN number. A door to the cabinet is unlocked once the internal computer accepts the access information. The supply items are separated into bins by type, and as a user takes out an item, they must also push a button, indicating that they have taken out that item. This action of manual input causes the system to decrement the item from inventory.